Travolta wings it in Singapore

A skilled navigator - both on air and on land - is what John Travolta proved to be at a press conference yesterday.

The avid pilot and Breitling watch ambassador took questions about planes and flying with as much ease as he dodged the real elephant in the room - how is Travolta and his superstar wife Kelly Preston dealing with recent allegations about his homosexual love affairs?

"My family's fine, and we're travelling for business and pleasure," he replied, smooth as those slick moves he wowed the world with in Grease.

Here in town to launch Breitling's latest limited edition model, the Navitimer Blue Sky, Travolta, 58, was all charm and smiles from the start to the finish, even standing to answer questions and make eye contact with journalists at the back of the room.

He was presented with a Navitimer Blue Sky of his own - one of only 500 pieces in the world and worth $13,300.

The owner of one of the last Boeing 707's and five other aircraft as well as the proud recipient of 11 flying licences, Travolta revealed to members of the media that his home in Florida sits on its own little airport.

"I could ... get out of bed and just fly here" he said in a soft, easy drawl with an affable grin.

Dressed in a dark grey suit paired with a black t-shirt, Travolta cut an imposing figure - tall, broad, and, well, large, but also very compact and toned.

His newly-buff physique may have something to do with the slew of action movies he's been working on - Savages with Oliver Stone, Killing Season with Robert De Niro, and next on the pipeline, a remake of The Killer with Asian director John Woo.

It also appeared that Travolta has put his hip-wiggling Saturday Night Fever days behind him - when asked to choose between the disco and flying, he chose the skies over the dance floor without much hesitation.

"I'd be a pilot because I've already done the disco dancing," he said.

As if his passion for planes was not already obvious, Travolta revealed that he had flown to Singapore on Sunday night together with his wife and two children, Ella and Benjamin, in his Boeing 707.

That same Boeing 707 was christened Jett Clipper Ella, after his daughter and late son Jett, who died in 2009 after suffering from a seizure while on holiday in The Bahamas.

Travolta intends to spend the next few days enjoying Singapore with his family as a holiday of sorts.

"I love your city, and I've brought my family this time. So tomorrow we are going to do some sightseeing."